I am thinking about adding engine pans to my T. I would like to hear your opinions on whether they should be used or not.

My thoughts are that they originally constricted flow of the air through the radiator and out through the vent holes in the hood and thus helped in the cooling of the model T engine, and without them the model T will cool great if running down the road but poorly if sitting idle in parade type traffic.

I think the orginal idea was to keep as much of the mud etc out of the engine compartment. With them on sure would keep the floor boards nice and warm. If the car is for show, yes. My 21 coupe, when I got it, only had one on the drivers side. I have no plans to put them back on.

I`ve been removing them from whichever "T" (or "A") I happen to be working on for the past few years. They are usually "in the way" and are really unneccessary for todays driving. I don`t do show cars---that might be the only reason to keep them. Paul

The pans don't seem to affect cooling one way or another. I've got them on my '15 and it runs cool but then so do my other two cars that don't have them.

No problem with overheating in parades but it only gets into the mid 90's here in the summer so its not all that hot. Cooling system maintenance is the key to cool running. A good radiator and no rust in the block are the important considerations. Of course the timing needs to be set properly or your T will run real hot.

We sometimes tour down dirt and gravel roads. The pans do keep the engine compartment cleaner.

Hi Jerry, My T's are by no means show cars and never will be as long as I own them. That said, ALL of my T's (including the Ton Trucks) have both of the engine pans. They serve several usefull purposes: direct air flow over the engine to aid in cooling, catch parts that fall off, catch fluids and thereby indicate the source of leaks, and reduce the amount of mud and other road debris that might otherwise enter the engine bay. They work for me, your results may vary. Bill

We used to remove them and not put them back. They were known as being a fire hazard. As dirt accumulated they would get oil and gasolene soaked. Any spark would get the stuff burning. I suppose if they are kept clean they wouldn't be a problem.

Will Model A pans work on a T? I don't recall seeing the pans listed in any of the T catalogs. I'm not into show cars, but I do like having things "correct" so would like to add them on my '26 Touring.

I was told that having engine pans can lead to more engine fires if the carb. leaks gas. With out the pans, gas drips on the ground which is not good but the fire danger is less. According to my dad who is 90, that is the main reason why most pans were removed. "Les"

By Ed Niedzielski on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:49 am:

Ditto on the engine pan fires. Around these parts (Canadian Prairies) you rarely see an original T with the engine pans. I would guess that a lot of dirt road driving would really load the dirt and dust onto the pans and any oil or gas leak could become a potential problem. I would suppose that a pavement driven car would have minimum issues.... If you were Fording across a river stream, I wonder how much better the engine pans would help keep the water away from the engine if you moved, non-stop, at a steady clip, hhhmmm??

They were enough useful (for some byers) back in Henry's days to be kept in production, nowadays most roads and driving conditions are different, so most current owners can leave them out without problems.

Useful: on muddy roads, keeping dirt out and in cold weather, giving some heat through the floorboards.

Not useful: when the carb leaks, when the engine goes in & out of the car for repairs.

Considering the fact I built mine from parts,I never came accross a pan till very recently.I did get the remnants of 1 on the 26 running gear I got in 06.It is fixable.But I think I will leave it off. That gathering dirt and catching any leaky gas bothers me.Makes for something to get hot and burn.

I can't see how you guys are catching gas unless it is somehow leaking from your steering column. There's a hole the size of a California lemon right under the carburetor in the engine pans I've got. Are we talking about the same thing or is this another old wives tale?